I wish I could say I’m jetting off to the beaches of Hawaii or backpacking across Europe but moms are allowed to dream, aren’t we? lol

Moms Love Shopping will be on a (hopefully) short hiatus this fall. Life is just totally crazy now so rather than wasting your time and mine by producing a cruddy show, I’m going to regroup, rethink my plans for the podcast, and come back energized and jazzed about making your shopping experiences better.

Thanks for understanding! You’ll still find helpful product reviews and other shopping information on the site so feel free to browse. And if you’re new to Moms Love Shopping, take a listen through the archives!

Now to find some tan-in-a-bottle so I can look like I was on a real vacation!!

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I had great fun playing with this flip video camera. This would be perfect for me because I’m always forgetting my camera or forgetting the memory card but there are also certain limitations to this one. Be sure to check out a listener’s review below.

And I also had a bit of a struggle getting my free credit reports this year so listen to my story and take some steps to check your credit report every year. It’s so important to know what your credit score is and what it means.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Mentioned on Today’s Show:

• Dammit Doll Store - Fantastic gift ideas to keep on hand for any frustrating situation
• Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder - Review submitted by one of our listeners
• FreeCreditReport.com - Listen to my experience before trying this service!
• AnnualCreditReport.com - RECOMMENDED! Get ALL THREE credit reports FREE each year with no hassles or subscriptions to extra services

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And I just have to mention yet again…WHAT is the deal with the boys’ clothing departments?? WHY do the girls have racks and racks of clothes to choose from while the boys have significantly less?

Other Resources Mentioned On the Show:

Back to School News Article: Shaky Economy Hits Kids

Back to School Must Haves:

• Eco Friendly Laptop Lunch Bento Box-PBA Free
• Chele’s Lunch Bags
• Chele’s Labels

Reviewed Products

• Teen Makeup Looks to Match Your Every Mood
• Hair: Style Tips and Tricks for Girls
• Your Child’s Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them
• The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing
• 10 Minutes to Bedtime

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Free Shipping
Valid: 8/13 - 8/19
Free Standard Shipping when you spend $75.00 or more

Back to School Specials
Prices Good through 8/21/08
30-40% Off Boys’ and Girls’ Jeans

30-60% Off Juniors’ Candies Collection

30-40% Off Boys’ Chaps and Tony Hawk Apparel

Clearance Items
Quantities Limited

SO Checkerboard Tote - $8.00 (Orig $20.00)

My Michelle® Tie-Back Lurex® Dress - $17.40 (Orig $58.00)

Candie’s® Prittie Dress Heels - $19.99 (Orig $49.99)

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Back To School 30% Off Sale at ClassicCloseouts.com! Use coupon code: CJSKOOL.

Shop August 1st through August 31st to receive the 30% discount! Plus, orders of $50 USD or more enjoy free shipping!

Save even more:
Clearance items at ClassicCloseouts.com!

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It may be back to school time, but it’s still plenty hot outside and perfect swimming weather!  Take advantage of this sale and snag a new suit to kiss summer goodbye in style or stock up for next summer!

Summer Swimsuit Sale - Overstock Liquidation. 150+ Styles up to 90% OFF!

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On top of the already great styles from AZJeans, AZJeans.com is now the destination site for the new all-American inspired brand Decree, as well as intimate apparel from Flirtitude. To celebrate their new look, AZ Jeans is offering:

$10 off any $50 purchase online (excluding giftcards)
Offer ends: 9/8/2008
Keycode: BTSDWM

Also, right now, select jeans for guys & girls are on sale for $22, select tees, tanks & camis for girls are $7, and select guys tees and polos are $13.

Check out Arizona Jeans’ new look: http://www.azjeans.com

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http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/backtoschool

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Remember that Staples commercial with the music “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and the father joyfully pushing his cart up and down the aisle looking for school supplies while his two kids meandered ever so slowly behind him? I think it’s quite a few years old but still makes me laugh!

Related Episodes for Preparing for Back to School:

• Back to School Shopping with Chanda Stegall
• Shopping for the Teacher & Classroom
• Thrift Store Strategies with Carrie Lauth

Thanks for “sharing some shopping spirit” with others:

• Mom Opinions
• Kelly McCausey
• Annette Yen
• You can share Moms Love Shopping Spirit by telling others about our podcast & site or sharing some link love.

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Product Name:
Teen Makeup: Looks to Match Your Every Mood
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
This how to guide gives your teenage daughter all the information she needs to know about taking care of her face, applying makeup and looking her best. Geared for the beginner, this book is full of advice about the young girls face and her first make up experiences.

Review:
When my daughter was about 10 she started talking about wearing makeup. I was able to put her off for a while, but not long. When she began asking about it again a bit later, I decided she needed a guide that would give her good advice about makeup.

This book was the perfect find for her. I was impressed with the part about taking care of her skin and why it is so important to maintain healthy skin. She liked knowing what to apply to her face to keep it from being so dry and what types of creams would work to keep her face clean and free of acne. It started her on a path that she still sticks to today.

The makeup part was great too. It gave her facts about applying makeup including why wearing too much make up could be a problem now and later in life. It has wonderful step-by-step pictures on how to apply all types of makeup. Some she picked up on right away and others, like applying mascara, took a little longer.

She even learned about colors and shades. This was very helpful for her. She has found shades that match her skin color well and she experimented enough that she no longer has the pasty look so many of us can get when choosing the wrong colors.

I’m glad I found this book for my daughter. She has had a lot of fun trying the different things and has perfected her makeup so that it is appropriate for her age and style. I would suggest this book to anyone who has a teenager ready to start down the makeup road.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Teen Makeup: Looks to Match Your Every Mood

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Product Name:
Hair: Styling Tips and Tricks for Girls
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 7

Description:
A young girl’s introduction to hair that is healthy and styles that will set them apart. It explains different hair types, what each type of hair needs to maintain a healthy look and feel and hair styles that are age appropriate.

Review:
All young girls like to play with their hair. Trying new styles, using different types of gels and sprays and making their hair look different from everyone else is just part of growing up for a girl.

This book is perfect for the young girl just beginning their hair journey. Because the styles are age appropriate I never have to worry if my daughter will come out of the bathroom looking like she’s twenty-five. The styles are cute and many of them are very attractive on my 7 year old.

I also like the fact that it goes into detail about maintaining healthy hair. Even though my daughter knows it’s important to keep her hair clean, it still helps to have a little more reinforcement. This book talks about hair types and what it takes to keep hair looking it’s best.
The photographs of the styles are nice and easy to see. The explanations and the step-by-step instructions on how to achieve the hairstyles make it easy for my daughter to create each style. She doesn’t get frustrated and give up like she has before. She works with her hair and feels a sense of accomplishment when she’s finished.

If you’re looking for a gift to give your daughter (or any other 5-9 year old) think about this book. Who knows you might even like some of the hairstyles yourself. One caution though the styles are pretty much for long, straight hair. So if your daughter has curly hair or her hair is short you might not find a lot of styles that will work. However, the hair maintenance part will still work for them.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Hair: Styling Tips and Tricks for Girls (American Girl Library)

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Product Name:
Your Child’s Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
This book focuses on helping your child find their strengths in three very important areas. Activity, learning and relationship strengths are the basis of this book. Helping your child be their own person in these 3 areas is the main focus.

Review:
We all have our strengths and our weakness, but trying to discover them for a child can be a difficult feat. We as parents can see them, but how do we help our child discover them and use them to be their own independent person?

This book is a great step-by-step guide to helping your child do just that. It takes a look at three areas of our child’s life and walks you through how to discover the best traits and then how to help your child develop those strengths. Helping children use those strengths to their advantage is also set out in this book.

Giving our children the gift of knowing who they are and how they can get as far in life as they dream is important to any parent. This book can help you do just that and in turn help your child to grow and become an adult they can be proud of.

All I can say is buy the book, read it and then help your child put it into action. You will see, just as I did, that it opens a whole new world for your child and who they are. They will be much happier in their world now and become an adult who can face the world strong and confidently.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Your Child’s Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them

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Product Name:
The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing
Reviewed By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
This book points out the downfalls of homework and standardized testing in our schools. Do our children really learn from homework and does it take away from the one on one learning that our children seem to lack these days? These are some of the questions that are looked at in this book, along with ways that we can bring the joy of learning back into our children’s lives.

Review:
It seemed like day after day my children were bringing home more and more school work. When they came home and said they were told to study for their standardized testing I began to become very concerned. My children weren’t learning the things that I felt they needed to learn and all their free time was taken up by studying in order to pass to the next grade.

I wanted to see what other people thought and the more I researched and talked to other parents, I began to see that more people felt as I did. Someone suggested I get this book. When I did, I couldn’t put it down. Now I had an explanation to why my children were swamped with homework day after day.

The world has come to the conclusion that to learn children need to have their school work in their face constantly. After reading this book I began to see why people felt that way, but I still didn’t understand that way of thinking. To me children learn better by discussing the subject and by doing hands on activities. This gives them a chance to work out the things they don’t understand and the problems that may not be addressed with homework.

As for studying for the standardized testing what good does that do? For my child it doesn’t do much. They don’t even know how well they did nor do they get any help with their problem areas. This only helps the school and their standing in the educational world, including the money they receive in the form of grants, etc. It really has nothing to do with how a child learns best.

I believe every parent, teacher and school administrator needs to read this book, along with the political folks who don’t get education and think that some test will make my child smarter and a better human being. If you’re concerned about your child’s education, grab a copy of this book. You will get insight that will make you stop and think about education and the learning processes we have all adapted for our children. After reading this I fully understand why homeschooling is growing more and more each year.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing

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Product Name:
10 Minutes to Bedtime
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
A great children’s book featuring a small child and many of his hamster friends. It’s almost bedtime and as the father counts the minutes down the young child goes through his bedtime rituals with all his hamster tourists who have come to enjoy the fun. This book is geared toward ages 2 to 6.

Review:
This book is just plain cute. How many times have our children scurried around to get ready for bed? This young child has a lot of help that only he can see. As Dad counts the minutes down, while immersed in his paper and totally unaware of the frolics of his child and friends, the bed time rituals begin.

With adorable illustrations this book will grab any child’s attention. It’s colorful and full of crazy antics. The child’s pet hamster advertises in the paper a bedtime tour. Before the night is over there are numerous hamsters running around. They help him brush his teeth, have a snack, read a book and they even fill the bathtub. They hula, water ski, boat and lie in lawn chairs.

The whole time Dad is hollering from his chair 10 minutes until bedtime, 9 minutes until bedtime and so on. When Dad shouts “Bedtime!” they all scatter away.

This book leaves a little to the imagination also. Are these hamsters real or just the wild imagination of a young child?

Kids love this book because it’s so active. There is something exciting happening on every page. It brings the hamsters to life even in their arrival by buses, taxis and even golf carts. In addition, it helps children with their counting. From the minutes until bedtime to the numbered hamsters, they will be counting on their own before you know it.

If you’re looking for a great book to read to your children at bedtime, get a copy of this one. There is so much going on that every time you read it to your child they will find something new and entertaining. I even enjoy it myself.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
10 Minutes to Bedtime

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Instead of spending hours a day searching for one simple item, make your online shopping experience even easier with these two new personalized search functions!

If you’re searching for clothing and are easily intimidated by the millions of websites that come up after a simple Google search, then make an account at StyleFeeder.com and simply put in your clothing preferences, answer a few short questions, and cut your shopping time in half. StyleFeeder will search out the best online deals for those items you have selected.

Basically, you have a personal shopper searching the internet for you!

And searching eBay just got easier with the Shopping and Discovery search function. Simply delete those items that don’t match your specifications completely and focus on fewer auctions.

Resources mentioned in today’s show:

• StyleFeeder.com - The personal shopping engine
• eBay Shopping & Discovery - More productive eBay searches!

Thanks for “sharing some shopping spirit” with others:

• Mom2MomLounge.com
• MomsGroupManual.com
• MomShopsOnline.com
• You can share Moms Love Shopping Spirit by telling others about our podcast & site or sharing some link love.

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Many states have put up websites listing local attractions and even discounted coupons. Connecticut has a website that offers special attraction discounts only to state residents, specifically rewarding those residents who are staying close to home.

You will even find sales for home improvements or decorating so you can tackle those big projects that you never seem to find the time for. Keep your eyes and ears open for those sales because they may not be called “staycation sales.”

No matter what your summertime plans, enjoy your family and your time in the sun! Stay safe!

Resources mentioned in today’s show:

• The Insider’s Guide to Shopping Online - 86 Online Shopping Secrets That Will Save You Time, Money and Hassle
• Bargain Hunter’s Secrets to Online Shopping - Review
• Childproofing the Internet DVD - Review
• The Internet and Your Kids DVD - Review

Products mentioned in today’s show:

• KILZ Paint & Primers
• Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy - Review
• Deluxe Children’s Gardening Tool Set - Review

Thanks for “sharing some shopping spirit” with others:

• Educational Toy Factory
• Mom Unplugged
• Moms Talk Radio
• You can share Moms Love Shopping Spirit by telling others about our podcast & site or sharing some link love.

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Product Name:
The Internet and Your Kids: Healthy Habits for a Safe Online Home
Submitted by:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 7

Description:
This DVD gives you the information you need to keep your children safe and happy on the Internet. Divided up in chapters so they can be easily accessed this DVD includes sections on healthy internet habits, expert advice on setting up parental guidelines and even on social networking.

Review:
Do you have a teenager who is constantly on the computer? It can be as scary and nerve wracking as letting them borrow the car on a Friday night. In fact for me it was worse because I wasn’t sure what might be available for them to access and find.

The The Internet and Your Kids: Healthy Habits for a Safe Online Home DVD was the only thing I could find on keeping my teenager safe on the Internet. I was very glad it was so informative and helpful. I was lost and needed some advice and even though this was all I could find it gave me everything I need to know.

I can set up some parental codes now. I of course knew they were on the computer, but how do you know what to block. I mean yes there are sites you are going to automatically know to block, but those aren’t the only ones out there. It helped me to find the right things to block and how to use the block to make sure all these types of things were included.

The 16 healthy habits for Internet safety came in very handy. In just a few minutes I began to feel better about my teenager’s safety. Believe it or not my teenager was even pretty receptive to most of them. This even included some of the ideas about social networking and the MySpace site.

If you are concerned about your child and the Internet invest in this DVD. Even those of us who think we know may come away with some things that will be helpful. Keeping my child safe is of the utmost importance to me. This DVD and the expert advice it gave me has helped me to do just that.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
The Internet and Your Kids: Healthy Habits for a Safe Online Home

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Product Name:
Childproofing the Internet
Submitted by:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
This video gives you the low down on children and Internet. Not only does it talk about the things that are on the Internet but it gives you sound advice on how to keep your children safe while giving them a sense of freedom to surf the Internet.

Review:
With all the adult content, hate group and social networking sites on the Internet how is a parent to know if their child is safe while using the computer? Plus all the new technology on computers today kids can hide what they are finding in a blink of an eye. So how does a parent feel comfortable with their child and their Internet experience?

This video gives you the help you need. By taking you through some ofthe tough questions we as parents need to ask, you can be assured that you are getting the low down about the Internet. These answers are straight forward and informative. They get to the point and leave you feeling like you are the one in control.

The step-by-step Childproofing the Internet guide gives you great directions on how to use the parental controls on your computer. Walking through this guide is easy and simple to understand. I had the controls on my computer set quickly. I felt safe with the knowledge I had learned from this book and comfortable being able to do what was necessary to keep my child safe for Internet predators.

If you have a child that’s on the computer please take a chance on this video. There’s nothing any worse than to hear a story on the news about a child who has been taken advantage of because of the Internet. It’s scary for any parent and can have a very heartbreaking ending if we don’t intervene and guarantee our children’s safety. Just take a look at this video and then follow it’s direction. Your child will be safe and you will have peace of mind too.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Childproofing the Internet

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Product Name:
Deluxe Children’s Gardening Tool Set
Submitted by:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 7

Description:
This child’s gardening tool set comes with one handle and three interchangeable heads. There is included in the set a rake, a shovel and a fruit picker.

Review:
Most of my time is spent in my garden. My children like to be out there with me but I’m always afraid they will get hurt on the garden tools. I wanted them to be able to spend time with Mom, help in the garden if they wanted to and still be safe.

I found this little garden tool set. It has worked great with my children. Although I wish each tool had it’s own handle so both the kids could play at the same time. They still have a lot of fun with it and have decided to start their own garden next year.

The different tool heads are interchangeable. The kids have a great time with the shovel. I find small holes dug all over the yard. The rake is great too. The only thing is they haven’t really gotten down pat the fact that once they dig the hole they can use the rake to put the dirt back. I usually find it in the grass along the way.

I don’t think they have ever used the fruit picker. At least not to pick fruit with. It’s cute though and the kids have used it to catch the little golf balls and other items they find to throw back and forth.

This little garden set is a lot of fun for my children. It’s not used much in the garden, but they still find ways of entertaining themselves with it for hours. That’s enough for me because an entertained child is a happy child.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Deluxe Children’s Gardening Tool Set

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Product Name:
Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 8

Description:
This canvas style bucket caddy fits over a 5 gallon bucket. There are pockets for all your gardening tools, your cell phone, a drink holder and even a place to put your seed packets.

Review:
I love to garden so I spend a lot of time there. Having everything I need in one place and readily available is important because once I’m there I don’t want to have to make a lot of trips back and forth. This caddy has been a life saver for me in that department.

It’s made of a very durable canvas. If it gets wet that’s ok. It doesn’t ruin it in any way. It has deep pockets so all my gardening tools fit in it very well. I like the idea that I can also have a place to put my cell phone. I have children so I keep my cell phone close all the time. I have to admit I’ve lost a few in the garden because I would lay it down then step on it or the dog would run off with it. It’s been a money saver in that department.

The area for the seed packets is pretty neat too. I have a terrible time getting my tools ect wet when I’m in the garden. The hose is not my friend that’s for sure. With the seed packet compartment my seeds stay dry and all in one place. No more looking all over them when the dogs carted them off somewhere.

The canvas fits right over a five gallon bucket. That’s great because now I don’t have to worry about standing all the time or taking that dreaded lawn chair that always gets in my way with me. I can just turn the bucket upside down, slip the caddy right over it and I have myself a chair with everything I need right there.

This garden caddy has been a wonderful purchase for me. If you have a garden or are thinking about starting one I recommend you try the Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy. It’s the greatest thing since cherry tomatoes.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy

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Product Name:
Bargain Hunter’s Secrets to Online Shopping
Submitted By:
Guest Reviewer
Rating: 9

Description:
A complete guide on where to find the bargains, how to shop and where to shop online. It lists over 35 categories to look through, tells you how to stay safe buying online and supplies a list of some of the best websites to shop at online.

Review:
I hate to shop. Going to the store, looking around, fighting the people, fighting the checkout, all of it I just hate doing it. Shopping online is a little better experience for me but then I’ve been through some credit card fraud so I wasn’t feeling real safe there either. I decided though that if I have to shop I would rather do it in the comfort of my home. So I went shopping for a guide to help me with my fears. I found this one, ordered it (yes online) and now I do almost all my shopping online.

I have found a guide that is simple to read and understand. It tells me everything I need to know about shopping online. There are numerous categories and I haven’t come up with a single one yet that isn’t in there. There is also a list that seems to go on and on of websites you can go to.

My favorite part is the one regarding safety. It explains in great detail about being safe when buying online. The part of how to determine if a merchant is safe was great. It gave my anxieties a little rest. Being a person who has been taken before I was very skeptical but this information helped to ease some of that and gave me a sense that it could be safe. Plus it told me a few good ideas on how to pay online with things such as PayPal. I don’t have to use a credit/debit card if I don’t want too. What a relief. I thought that was the only way to pay for a purchase. I know better thanks to this book.

I still hate to shop but it’s much easier to deal with now that I can just go online and find just about anything I’m looking for. I find the bargains, feel safe when I pay and get my merchandise without having to deal with all the hassles.

Where to purchase or seek additional information:
Bargain Hunter’s Secrets to Online Shopping

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PMS Moment - Click here for more amazing videos

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This is the package my mother purchased for $25. It included an assortment of meats.  Yes, you read those packages correct - they even had ORGANIC selections and name brands!

This was the Basic Package that I purchased.  It had a smaller selection of meat but included fresh produce.

Close up time!  Check out those bananas… no rush to eat them the minute I got them home.  Fantastic!

The fresh lettuce was great on the hamburgers that came in this meal package!  The plums were gone first.  I couldn’t have chosen a better selection if I had done it myself.

This was from the Pantry Box I purchased.  Some very basic staple items all kitchens should have plus a few extras: Tuna, beans, noodles, soup, peanut butter and jelly.

Can you buy everything on this page for $65 or less?  I’d like to see you try!  Trust me on this one, just locate a local program and start participating.  If you eat, you qualify!

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